Lost in
the mail
Canada Post’s
move to community
mailboxes creates
more questions than
answers for Saanich

Saanich Coun. Judy Brownoff,
at a community mailbox on Sea
Ridge Drive, says Canada Post
is offering little detail on how
community mailboxes will be
installed safely and securely as
home delivery is phased out.
Sharon Tiffin/News staff

Kyle Slavin
News staff

Coun. Judy Brownoff has a lot
of questions for Canada Post,
fearing municipalities across the
country will be on the hook to
pay for costs associated with
maintaining safe and accessible
community mailboxes.
The Saanich councillor says
the mid-December announcement that the Crown corporation will do away with home
delivery within the next five
years shouldn’t have been made
before consulting municipalities.
Her concerns stem from vague
wordings in the Canada Post
Delivery Planning Standards
Manual that don’t clearly touch

on land-use, lighting, pedestrian
safety, sidewalks and mailbox
maintenance.
“Why, if this is a federal edict,
are they not being told to spend
some money and get some standards developed, then talk to
municipalities,” she said.
Brownoff points to the fact
that few residential streets in
Saanich have sidewalks, per
municipal policy, and many
streets have sporadic lampposts
to prevent light pollution.
“People are going to have to
have a safe walking environment
to get to that box. There’s going
to have to lighting – who’s going
to pay to put in a light standard?
Is Canada Post going to pay to
put in a sidewalk? I think this is

going to be them downloading
costs onto us,” she says.
As for where these boxes will
be installed, Brownoff is curious
if they will be put on private or
municipally owned land.
Canada Post estimates 6,000
to 8,000 positions will be eliminated by implementing nationwide community mailboxes. The
company says rising costs and
falling mail volumes have rendered the traditional operations
no longer sustainable.
In 1989, Saanich council
approved a policy entitled
“Supermailbox Location Policies” that establishes guidelines
for where Canada Post can
install these boxes.
In addition to specifying

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how far away a box should be
from driveways, sidewalks and
intersections, the bylaw indicates these mailboxes can’t be
installed on major roads and it
puts limits on how many mailboxes there can be in one particular area.
Colin Doyle, Saanich’s director of engineering, says since the
policy “establishes guidelines,”
what’s laid out are “desirables.”
Before any work happens,
however, Canada Post will be
required to receive a permit
from the engineering department.
“It’s strictly an administrative procedure, just as other
people do to work in a municipal right-of-way. They take out a

|

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permit, and provided the work’s
approved, they go ahead and
do it, and it’s inspected by our
folks,” he said.
“Prior to the installation of a
supermailbox, Canada Post will
submit to the Municipality site
plans showing details of the proposed supermailbox locations
and other features that may
affect the acceptability of their
proposed location,” the policy
reads.
Brownoff expects Canada Post
won’t simply drop boxes into
neighbourhoods without consulting first with Saanich and
area residents.

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A2 • www.vicnews.com

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pornography, which was meant
to address pedophilia and
exploitation. It’s about teenaged
harassment or bullying and
needs to be dealt with in a different manner.”
The federal government plans
to table an anti-cyberbullying bill
this spring in the wake of several
high-profile cases, including that
of Halifax teenager Rehtaeh Parsons.
Mackie said the new legislation, if passed, could be relevant
to his client’s case.
“By all indications, this is a
bullying case,” he said.

Daniel Palmer
News staff

Victoria Police investigators
recovered a collection of gold
pocket watches stolen Jan. 3
from the Royal B.C. Museum.
Port Alberni RCMP arrested
the suspects, a 44-year-old Port
Alberni man (formerly of Colwood) and a 29-year-old Port
Alberni woman, last week at the
request of VicPD.
VicPD used a fingerprint left
at the scene to trace the crime
back to the Colwood man, while
the eight pocket watches “had
gone through a number of different hands” before officers
tracked them down locally, said
Sgt. Colin Brown of VicPD’s
Crime Reduction Unit.
“In this particular case, it’s a
crime of opportunity,” Brown
said at a press conference
Thursday. “But there was definitely some thought that went
into it. It’s not like the museum
didn’t have good security in
place, they did, but you can
tell, even though (the suspects)
are not the most sophisticated
people, they’ve certainly been
involved in thefts in the past.”
The pocket watches were
likely traded for drugs or cash

Daniel Palmer/News staff

Victoria police recovered a collection of historic gold pocket
watches stolen from a display at the Royal B.C. Museum, while
RCMP in Port Albernia arrested two suspects in the theft.
before the couple left Victoria
for Port Alberni, and Brown
said police worked quickly to
recover them through local
sources.
RBCM CEO Jack Lohman
called the incident a “very rare
occurrence,” and praised VicPD
for tracking down the valuable
artifacts so quickly.
“I’ve worked with museums
all around the world … where
there hasn’t been this great
speed of work (by police),”

Lohman said.
Bill Chimko, RBCM’s head of
security, said the watches were
stolen from a secured glass case
in the Old Town exhibit on the
museum’s third floor during
operating hours, but refused to
go into further detail. He said
security measures are being
adjusted as a result of the theft.
Brian Gerald Holt and Stacy
Croft are each facing a charge of
theft over $5,000.
dpalmer@vicnews.com

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day trial last Thursday.
Defense lawyer Christopher
Mackie is now awaiting a court
date on a constitutional challenge, which was filed last September, asking whether or not
child pornography laws should
apply to cases involving young
people.
“We knew (the conviction)
was a necessary step, so I don’t
think we were under any illusions that this would be the end
of the road,” Mackie said in an
interview.
“My client’s argument has
been that this isn’t about child

Teen convicted on child porn charge
A Greater Victoria teenager
has been found guilty of possessing and distributing child
pornography after she texted
naked pictures of another minor
found on her boyfriend’s phone.
The 17-year-old, whose identity is protected under the Youth
Criminal Justice Act, was also
found guilty of uttering threats
through texting.
Judge Sue Wishart gave her
ruling Thursday in Victoria
Youth Justice Court after a one-

ENTER TO

Wednesday, January 15, 2014- SAANICH

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www.vicnews.com • A3

SAANICH NEWS - Wednesday, January 15, 2014

COMMUNITY
NEWS
IN BRIEF

Oil furnace failure
sparked house fire

Investigators have determined that a mechanical
failure with an oil-fired
furnace started a fire that
destroyed a home in the
3300-block of Shelbourne
Street, killing a family dog.
Assistant Chief Rich
Pala, with the Saanich Fire
Department, says while
the cause has been determined to be accidental,
the flames were fuelled by
nearby items.
“There was storage
around the furnace that
contributed to the growth
of the fire. We would
remind residents to make
sure they don’t store any
combustibles near their
furnace,” Pala said.
He also noted that the
home was not equipped
with smoke alarms.
The fire began around
11:55 p.m. on Jan. 3 while
two people were inside the
home. Both managed to
escape without injury.
Fire crews rescued the
family dog, but attempts to
resuscitate the animal were
unsuccessful.
Damage to the home
and contents is estimated
at $300,000.

A care aid for 21
years, Mary Ann
Desjardins is
part of a health
care team in the
neuroscience
department at
Victoria General
Hospital, and says
employees in her
position are more
than capable of
working in acute
care wards.
Arnold Lim/News staff

Lightening the workload for nurses

Commercial vehicle
goes up in flames

A commercial vehicle
which became engulfed in
fire on Sunday is now the
target of a forensic investigation by Saanich police.
The fire happened
behind businesses on the
3500-block of Quadra St.
late Sunday night. By the
time emergency crews
arrived the vehicle was
engulfed in flames.
Saanich police are treating the fire as suspicious
and are investigating the
incident.

Victoria housing
affordability forum

The Victoria Downtown
Residents Association is
hosting a public forum on
housing affordability Jan.
30 at the Victoria Event
Centre, 1415 Broad St.
Discussion topics
include the history of
housing policy and affordable housing solutions.
The panel includes local
housing experts. The free
event begins at 7 p.m.

Christopher Sun
Reporting

Care aids already
part of hospital
health care teams
This is part three of a three-part
series examining proposed changes
to acute care nursing in Greater
Victoria hospitals.

T

he B.C. Nurses’ Union and
Island Health are locked in a
bitter dispute about changing the model of nursing, but one
health care professional has seen
the new system work successfully
at Victoria General Hospital.
Mary Ann Desjardins, a care
aide for 21 years, is stationed at
the VGH neuroscience department
and works with a team of two registered nurses and one licensed
practical nurse.
The team normally cares for
about 14 patients, and Desjardins
helps them eat, get in and out of
bed, bathe and use the toilet.
“We’re able to do the extra little

pieces that a registered nurse
doesn’t have time to do, such as
comforting the patient,” she said.
“There are times when I look at a
patient and decide, ‘I’m going to sit
with this person because I know
he or she is frightened.’”
Her team was part of a small
pilot project for the care delivery
model redesign (CDMR) implemented in acute care at Nanaimo
Regional General Hospital in September and planned for Victoria
General and Royal Jubilee hospitals in April.
Changes would have care aides
take on duties of feeding, bathing
and toileting of acute-care patients
in an effort to reduce costs and
give patients more one-on-one time
with a health care professional.
Desjardins said having care aides
in acute care is a positive change.
“It can lighten the load for
nurses. I know it’s a good thing,
I’ve seen it work,” she said.
The BCNU wants CDMR
scrapped.
The union argues that model
decreases, and in some cases
eliminates, direct patient time
with nurses. It also said care aides
don’t have the same education to
notice subtle changes in a patient’s
health, which could be life threatening.
Desjardins disagrees, and said
care aides have adequate training
in patient observation.
“That is our main focus because
before being brought into acute
care, (care aids) were mostly in
residential care. Nurses (in resi-

dential care) totally depend on us,”
she said.
Yet CDMR is provoking worry
across all units at Victoria General, including Desjardins’, due to
negative stories emerging from
Nanaimo and a lack of details from
Island Health, she said. “We don’t
know what it’s going to look like,”
Desjardins said. “It creates a bit of
frustration.”

“We should be part
of the care team. We are
at the patient’s bedside
often where we see
changes in a person’s
health.”

– Bonnie Pearson
Hospital Employees’ Union

The Hospital Employees’ Union
(HEU), which represents health
care assistants, says its members
are upset that their skills are being
questioned, as they are trained
professionals who work within
their mandate, which includes
noticing subtle changes in patients.
“It’s disheartening to hear people feel they have to advance their
own interest by diminishing the
role others provide,” said HEU secretary business manager Bonnie
Pearson.
“We should be part of the care
team. We are at the patient’s bedside often where we see changes in
a person’s health.”
In Alberta, the union represent-

ing nurses is fighting a similar
battle as the BCNU, as care aides
there have assumed the same
tasks that Island Health is trying to
implement.
The United Nurses of Alberta is
also accusing Alberta Health Services of replacing nurses with care
aides, and that union claims it has
evidence proving Alberta “plans
to eliminate hundreds of nursing
jobs.”
The BCNU also asserts CDMR is
about replacing nurses with lowercost care aides. The union fears
CDMR will eventually be adopted
by other health authorities across
B.C.
CDMR executive leader Rita den
Otter said using care aides in hospitals and in acute-care wards is
nothing new.
The system was introduced to
smaller Island hospitals such as
Cowichan, Campbell River and
West Coast General in Port Alberni
several years ago, and care aides
work in acute care wards in other
parts of Canada, the United States
and in Europe.
CDMR will ease a nurse’s workload and will not result in job
losses, den Otter said.
“We all live on the Island, too,
and our families come to our hospital for care,” she said. “When we
redesign patient care, we are thinking of our own family as well. We
try very hard, always to provide
the best possible care we can and
show that it’s safe to come to our
hospital.”
reporter@vicnews.com

A4 • www.vicnews.com

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - SAANICH

OXFORD
FOODS
PRICES EFFECTIVE ONE FULL WEEK
WED. JANUARY 15 to TUES. JANUARY 21, 2013

COOK ST. VILLAGE
271 COOK ST.
DR. OETKER

FRESH

RISTORANTE PORK BUTT
STEAK
PIZZA

FROZ
325 390 G

3

98

ALL
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ALL VARIETIES

CHEEMO
PEROGIES

1

88

FROZ
907 G
BAG

4 KG
39

LB

FRESH BONELESS

PORK BUTT
ROAST
483 KG

MOTT’S 100’S

1

99

219

LB

CANADA GR. “AA” BEEF

NATURAL RUMP or BOTTOM
APPLE JUICE ROUND ROAST
1.82 L
BTL
+ DEP

1

88

or
UNSWEETENED

MAPLE LEAF

703 KG

3

19

LB

CANADA GR. “AA” BEEF

BOTTOM
FLAKED TURKEY
HAM or CHICKEN ROUND STEAK

98¢

156 G
TIN

747 KG

MACARONI & CHEESE

KRAFT
DINNER

225 G
BOX

77¢

ITALIAN STYLE

AL DENTE
PASTA

77¢

400 G
PKG

VANILLA PLUS
YOGURTS
33

2

ORGANIC
BREADS

2

33

PIZZA
PEPPERONI
500 G CHUB

ALL
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B.C. GROWN

ROYAL GALA
APPLES
1.30 KG ................................
U.S. GROWN LARGE

BARTLETT
PEARS
1.96 KG ................................
U.S. GROWN

RUBY
GRAPEFRUIT
EACH ..................................

CHICKEN
BREAST

6 KG
37

2

89

229

593 KG

2

69

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RICE
CRISP

100G BOX ALL VARIETIES

PASTA
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650 ML JAR ALL VARIETIES

CAMPBELL’S SOUP

CHICKEN
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284 ML TIN or VEGETABLE

59
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89
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CARVER’S

519

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Police were called to the 3200block of Woodburn Ave. Jan. 10,

LB

250 ML JAR

KELLOGG’S

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LB 2 LB BAG ...............................

Jan. 11 proved to be bad day
for deer when two were killed in
motor-vehicle accidents, one on the
900-block of Beach Dr., the other
on the 3400-block of Cadboro Bay
Rd. Damage to both vehicles, one
a police car, and the other an SUV,
were minimal.

Full of

This is the time of the year for current grade 5 students to plan
for three exciting years at middle school level (grades 6 to 8).

In order to learn about the many choices available at our
middle schools, parents/guardians and students are invited to
attend the Middle School Information Nights that are listed
below. The meetings will be held at the schools and begin at
7:00 pm.

ALL BRAN
FLAKES
LARGE 670 G BOX

U.S. GROWN

Bad day for deer

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99
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79
1
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89
39
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99
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ROBERTSON’S
MARMALADES

LB 1.96 KG .................................

On Jan. 7, the UVic Faculty Club
reported a break-and-enter where a
window was smashed and someone had entered the building.
A 21-year-old male suspect was
located by UVic security and turned
over to Oak Bay police who will be
submitting charges for approval to
Crown Counsel.

where a resident said he observed
a man dressed in black trying the
door handles of vehicles parked
along the street.
Neighbourhood patrols and a
Saanich canine unit were unable
to identify a suspect, and none of
the vehicles appear to have been
entered.

The Greater Victoria School District has ten exemplary middle
schools that welcome all students to their responsive and safe
environments.

620 ML JAR

ROMA
TOMATOES

Late night clubbing

Neighbours stop crime

SOLE
FILLETS

IMPORTED

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CORNED
BEEF

POLICE NEWS

CORNISH
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505 KG

Don Denton/News staff

LB

CANADA GR. “AA” FRESH

LB 1144 KG

99
69
1
49
5
89
1
99
1
¢
69

A young doe crosses
Tyee Road in Vic
West, forcing the
oncoming bus to
take evasive action
to avoid a collision
with the animal. How
often do you see deer
in urban areas? Let
us know at editor@
saanichnews.com.

In early March, Anaheim, Calif.,
will host the largest natural products trade show in North America,
a venue of all that is nutritious. For
Victoria’s Paul Underhill, it’s a leap
into the wildly competitive U.S. market for health drinks.
The expo will mark the U.S.
launch of Rumble, a nutrition drink
devised by Underhill, 44, originally
as a means to cope with symptoms
of cystic fibrosis. Rumble has found
a foothold here, but the U.S. is a different world.
“The west coast of the U.S. is the
most competitive market for health
food and beverages,” Underhill said.
“There’s many more products, and
companies spend a lot on marketing. We have to rely on the strength
of our product, and word of mouth.”
Over the past two years, Rumble
has found its way into groceries and
health food stores across Canada,
and it had its biggest month yet in
December after Underhill and colleagues Kim and James McQueen
appeared on Dragons’ Den.
The drink and the company have
come a long way in five years, since
Underhill started grinding together
fruits and vegetables at his Victoria
home in a desperate bid to get food
into his body. Along with causing
chronic lung infections, cystic fibrosis inhibits the efficient absorption
of nutrients.
In those days, Underhill hunted
around supplement shops and
health food stores for meal replacements that were nutritious, organic
and didn’t taste awful. As a professional researcher with degrees in
psychology and law, he dug into

blending a drink from scratch.
“There was nothing out there
to drink with a healthy balance. I
needed something that didn’t exist.
I was forced to make my own,” he
said. “But obviously it wasn’t just
me that needed it.”
Steve Hughes, 45, who lives in
View Royal, encouraged Underhill to
develop his “super shake” as a commercial product. He left his job as
general manager of Albion Fisheries
to help get Rumble off the ground.
“I told Paul he should try to do
this. It’s not just the health-compromised that need this. Everyone
needs better choices and nutrition,”
Hughes said. “We realized going
from the blender at home to production was a big leap. We hired a
food scientist. We knew we needed
authentication.”
Kim McQueen, a naturopathic
doctor, formulated the ingredients
to maximize the proteins, nutrients and taste. They couldn’t find a
manufacturer in Canada to produce
Rumble, but found one in an undisclosed location the U.S. With financing from friends and family, Rumble
launched in October 2012 at a trade
show in Toronto.
Neither a protein or energy drink
or meal supplement, Rumble is
designed as Canada’s first “nourishing drink.” The company’s first commercial order came from Lifestyle
Markets, and the first bottle was
sold at Niagara Market.
Underhill said the final product
is healthier than what he made at
home – McQueen insisted on pumping up the omega-3s, an essential
fatty acid found in fish and nuts.
“Creating a tasty all-natural
leading-edge nutritional drink with
omega-3s was challenging. In lab

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testing the formulation was
worked on for over 18 months,”
Hughes said. “It took time to
work through the formulation
to create a stable shelf life.”
In the midst of developing
Rumble, Underhill’s cystic fibrosis came on with a vengeance,
and in 2011, he was on oxygen
24 hours per day. On April 22,
2011, an air ambulance shuttled
him to Toronto in critical condition, and by a stroke of fate,
he was undergoing double lung
transplant surgery within 12
hours.
A year later, Underhill cycled
the 100 km leg of the Tour de
Victoria. Rumble went on to
sponsor and Underhill rode the
1,200 km Vancouver to Banff
ride for cystic fibrosis, and the
company continues to sponsor
cyclists and other athletes. “It
was too much to even leave the
house (in 2011). I was tethered
to a tube. It’s hard to reconcile
then and now,” he said.
As seen on TV, Rumble struck
a deal with Dragons’ Den investors, but Underhill said that
dissolved amicably amid interest from an investors group

Edward Hill/News staff

Company co-founders Steve Hughes and Paul Underhill show
off bottles of Rumble outside their downtown Victoria office.
Originally a drink designed to combat Underhill's symptoms
of cystic fibrosis, Rumble is now found across Canada and
the company will launch into the U.S. in March.
in Toronto, which is financing
their push into the U.S.
From being a civil servant, a
cyclist and a health nut, Underhill never envisioned being a
guy who negotiated with ven-

Capital Regional District

THE DISTRICT OF SAANICH

CRD IDEA Grants

2014 SCHEDULE OF COUNCIL
MEETINGS

IDEA grants support arts programming that is new,
innovative or developmental, by non-profit organizations
whose mandate is in an area other than the arts or that
are ineligible under other CRD programs.

Pursuant to the Community Charter, the
public is advised that the 2014 schedule for
Regular Council Meetings is available on
our web site at saanich.ca, or by contacting
the Legislative Division at 250-475-1775
or e-mailing us at clerksec@saanich.ca. All
meetings start at 7:30 p.m. and are held in
the Council Chambers, Saanich Municipal
Hall, 770 Vernon Avenue.

Please note that this schedule may be
changed by resolution of Council.

Start the year

STRONG!

LORI LENAGHAN

Licensed Mortgage Professional

30+ YEARS IN THE MORTGAGE BUSINESS
250-888-8036 lori.lenaghan@vericoselect.com

Stop wishing, start doing, keep going.

The Business Licence Bylaw requires that all businesses operating in the District of
Saanich be in possession of a valid business licence. This requirement applies to all
commercial, industrial, home based and non-resident businesses operating within the
municipality.
Renewal notices are mailed at the end of each year to all businesses that were licensed
the previous year. Payment may be made online at www.saanich.ca, by mail or at the
Saanich Municipal Hall. Business licence fees are due and payable on the first
business day in January each year, or the date of application for a new business
licence, if later. If you are no longer operating your business please contact the Business
Licence Division at 250-475-5401 so that we can update our records. Please check the
Business Licence Bylaw for licence categories and fees.
How do I apply for a Commercial, Home Based or Inter-municipal
Business Licence?
A Business Licence Application is available online. A copy of the form is also available at
the Municipal Hall or can be mailed to you upon request. For further information or fee
rates, please contact the Business Licence Division at 250-475-5401. Please read our
pages about One Stop Business Registration and BizPal as well at www.saanich.ca.

ZERO
ENROLLMENT
*

DISTRICT OF SAANICH
NOTICE TO SAANICH BUSINESSES
2014 BUSINESS LICENCES

ture capitalists.
“I never anticipated coming down this path at all. But
we realized we had something
here,” he said. “I saw the potential and my friends did too.”

ast Thursday, a 17-year-old Victoria-area
girl was convicted of possessing and
distributing child pornography after she
texted naked photos of another underage girl.
The images were sent to the victim, another
teen and the 17-year-old’s boyfriend.
It appears the conviction met the strict
definition of distributing and possessing child
pornography, in this case sending around
images of her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. She also
threatened the victim and used the photos to
try to humiliate her on Facebook.
But are the actions of this 17-year-old
equivalent to a pedophile trading child porn
over the Internet, and thereby contributing to
the harm and degradation of exploited youth?
It seems in this case, the intent of the 17-yearold was to bully and harass a potential rival.
Clearly Canadian law is unable to cope with
the fast moving world of social media and the
vicious world of teen bullying, mixed with a
culture that encourages young girls to allow
racy photos of themselves via a technology that
links with ease to the Internet.
Many might agree that defaulting to a child
porn charge sends a message that teens
distributing photos of naked teens should be
dealt with harshly under the law. Certainly
bullying left unchecked has led to cases of girls
committing suicide.
That said, we should call this recent case what
it is – bullying and harassment due to rivalry
and jealousy, plain and simple. That doesn’t
diminish the seriousness of the offenses or the
suffering and humiliation of the victim.
But calling this teen a child pornographer is
disingenuous and distracts from the deep and
ongoing problem of bullying in the age of social
media (not addressed was the fact the boyfriend
would have technically been in possession of
child pornography, as it was his phone that
stored the photos).
If nothing else, parents and educators need to
make this a teaching moment. Teens and tweens
need to understand legal ramifications of images
and text transmitted onto the Internet, and the
fact that digital images always have the potential
to be distributed into the wider world.

What do you think? Give us your comments by e-mail:
editor@saanichnews.com or fax 250-386-2624. All letters must
have a name and a telephone number for verification.
The Saanich News is a member of the British Columbia Press
Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper
industry. The council considers complaints from the public about
the conduct of member newspapers. If talking with the editor or
publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story
treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council.
Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to
B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For
information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org.

2013

CCNA
BLUE
RIBBON

Harper rapped for wrong reasons
She’s now a professional Harper
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s
hater, with support from the U.S.latest visit to B.C. was portrayed as
based Tides Foundation among
these things are today: besieged by
others.
protesters, hiding from
One of the issues
an ever-vigilant media,
Harper didn’t take
cynically campaigning for
questions on was the
the 2015 federal election.
consolidation of 11 federal
TV couldn’t get enough
fisheries libraries into two,
of the two “environmental
one of them in Sidney, B.C.
activists” who dressed as
This is portrayed as
waiters to slip onstage at
part of Harper’s so-called
a business breakfast in
“war on science,” and
Vancouver.
has been compared with
They’re not
the Romans burning the
environmentalists, just allTom Fletcher library of Alexandria in
purpose protesters using
B.C. Views
ancient Egypt.
the flavour of the month.
Fisheries Minister Gail
They are associated with
Shea defended the cost-cutting
a group calling itself “No One Is
measure by pointing out that
Illegal,” a collection of anarchist
almost all access to these libraries
kooks that wants to do away with
is now digital, so maintaining 11
national borders, and of course
duplicated sets of printed reports is
capitalism.
a waste of taxpayer dollars.
As their now-famous sign
An anonymous federal scientist
said, they want “climate justice
fired back on his blog that the head
now.” Organizer Brigette DePape
of one of these libraries retired
explained to a co-operative CBC TV
before the contents could even be
host that the recent typhoon in the
catalogued, much less completely
Philippines that killed thousands
digitized for online access.
of people was caused by global
So this material wasn’t even
warming, which of course is caused
properly organized? Users were
mainly by the Alberta “tar sands.”
supposed to browse until they
I won’t dwell on this routine
stumbled on something pertinent?
idiocy, except to say the number
The ministry reported that the
of hurricanes that struck North
average number of people other
America in 2013 was zero, and
than federal fisheries staff who used
that hasn’t happened since 1994.
these libraries averaged between
Also, “climate justice” is like “social
five and 12 per year. That’s for
justice,” in that both require
all 11 facilities combined. And if
confiscation of earned wealth.
DePape is the former Senate page anyone has even one example of
information that was available and
fired in 2011 for a similar sign stunt.

isn’t now, they should identify it.
Harper’s got plenty to answer for,
no question. To take one of many
examples, spending our borrowed
money on TV ads for a “Canada Job
Grant” program that hasn’t even
been introduced in Parliament,
much less set up, isn’t just
wasteful. It’s dishonest and cruelly
misleading to the unemployed
people the ads pretend to offer
help.
Harper’s visit to B.C. added a
couple of scripted events, starting
with softball questions at the
Vancouver business breakfast.
Then he was off to a photo op at
the Kinsol trestle on Vancouver
Island, where he announced three
more years of funding for the TransCanada Trail.
I’m as relieved as anyone that
Harper is not killing this modest
federal project that started in 1992,
but this is not news.
It was a fake public event to
justify the cost of a trip so Harper
could address a new Conservative
riding association.
And how is the federal deficit
after eight years of tight-fisted
Conservative rule? We’re only
borrowing about $1 billion a
month now, down from the Harper
government all-time record deficit
of $55 billion in 2009.
Some cost cutting is in order all
right.
Tom Fletcher is legislature reporter
and columnist for Black Press.
Twitter: @tomfletcherbc
tfletcher@blackpress.ca

‘Harper’s got plenty to answer for, no question.’

www.vicnews.com • A7

SAANICH NEWS - Wednesday, January 15, 2014

LETTERS
No good argument
for sewage project
Why are all our local politicians, municipal and provincial,
racing to follow the edict from
the bloated bureaucrats and
their corporate sponsors in
Ottawa, to build an unneeded
sewage treatment system?
Why do we have to meekly
fall in line and obey their
demands? What will happen if
we tell them to take their ruling
and stuff it?
Those of us who do live here
know of the many tests and
studies carried out over the
past 40 years that have produced absolutely no evidence
that the system is necessary.
When was the last time any of
our ocean beaches were closed
by high fecal coliform counts?
All we have is the whining of
a bunch of ignorant urbanites
responding to a problem that
exists mostly in their fevered
imagination, and egged on by
the corporate interests who
stand to make big bucks from
this totally unnecessary project.
However, if someone wants
to present a cogent argument
for the economic benefits that
will accrue from taking our tax
money back from Ottawa and
recirculating it through the community I will be happy to listen.
Earl Smith
Saanich

Separating Saanich
something to ponder
Re: Larger municipalities,
larger costs (Letters, Jan. 10)
The letter writer asserts that
the majority of local services
have been “proven” to be most
effectively provided by municipalities with populations no
larger than 20,000.
In the name of efficiency,
therefore, I propose that her
own municipality of Saanich,
whose population is already
well over 100,000 and growing,
be subdivided into six separate
townships, each with its own
mayor and council.
Considerable cost savings
should be achieved by adding
five new mayors, up to 40 extra
councillors, five new police
and fire departments and various planning, engineering and
administrative posts to the local
governance of our geographi-

cally compact region. That’s
according to the “evidence”
the writer claims is ignored by
Amalgamation Yes and its supporters.
Moreover, I am sure other
major Western Canadian cities
that manage to function perfectly well with one mayor, 10
or so councillors, one police
force, one fire service and one
city hall would be amazed that
Greater Victoria could gain
greater efficiency and fiscal prudence by creating yet more separate and independent administrative units.
John Weaver
Victoria

Mainland cities
show lower costs
Re: Larger municipalities,
larger costs (Letters, Jan. 10)
Amalgamation Yes doesn’t
advocate any particular model
for future structure of municipal governance, however we
believe in an objective evaluation of the merits of amalgamating some of our 13 separate
municipalities and we have
some facts to support us.
Contrary to the letter writer’s
assertions, a review by Amalgamation Yes shows conclusively
that larger municipalities don’t
necessarily cost more money.
Surrey, with a population
of 482,000 compared to the
Capital Regional District total
of 349,000, collected $259 million in general municipal taxes
in 2012, compared to our combined $314 million.
Clearly with Surrey at $545
per capita municipal tax compared to a range of $867 to
$1,370 for our larger communities in the CRD confirms we are
overtaxed. And worse, our local
politicians have clearly stated
they intend to keep costs escalating with annual property tax
increases that exceed the rate
of population growth.
The cost of supporting four
local core councils is $965,000
while Burnaby’s cost are only

DISTRICT OF SAANICH
NOTICE TO SAANICH DOG OWNERS
$566,000. Our municipalities pay
21 employees over $150,000,
and they only need 15.
Do we really need 13 fire
chiefs? Even if amalgamation
didn’t necessarily save money
for the same cost of seven
police chiefs, we could put 15
more constables on the streets.
Clearly there is good reason to support at least some
degree of amalgamation. At the
very least, an in-depth analysis
overseen by the province is
warranted to provide the public with unbiased information;
however the province will only
undertake such a review if there
is public support.
That is why Amalgamation
Yes is encouraging all CRD
municipalities to place a public
opinion question on their ballots.
James Anderson
Saanich
Board member of
Amalgamation Yes

More oil pipelines
a great risk to all
Re: Many benefits from oil
pipelines (Letters, Jan. 3)
The writer from Duncan
points out that individuals have
potential risks from their plane
going down or a car accident.
While these events could
become tragic incidents for
individuals and their families,
they cannot be compared with
devastation being caused to
communities impacted by the
extraction activities of oil, gas
and coal industries poisoning
their water and environments.
So pipelines might bring us
some short-term financial benefits, but the cost to current and
future generations will rapidly
wipe out those benefits.
Better for us as a province
and country to quickly transition to renewable sources of
energy and away from all the
products we derive from oil.
Meanwhile by not allowing
the pipelines, we do not risk
wiping out the coastal economy
of our fisheries, tourism and all
the small communities which
depend on our clean environment – one spill caused by one
human error could wipe out
millions of dollars now injected
into our provincial coffers. That
is a risk we dare not take.
Carolyn Herbert
Saanich

2014 DOG LICENCES

The Animals Bylaw requires that all dogs over the age of 4 months be licensed
on or before February 1, 2014. Licences are valid for the calendar year and may
be purchased in person at the Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Avenue, Victoria BC
V8X 2W7, by mail, or at any Saanich Recreation Centre.
On or before
After
Licence fees for 2014 are:
March 1
March 1
Male or Female Dog
$35.00
$40.00
Neutered Male or Spayed Female Dog
$25.00
$30.00
Replacement Tag
$5.00
$5.00
If your dog has been neutered/spayed within the last 12 months or is a Guide Dog,
the licence is free. Please bring the applicable certificate with you when you obtain
the dog tag.
WHY SHOULD I LICENSE MY DOG? It is a requirement under the Animals Bylaw.
The fine for not having a valid dog licence is $150.00. A Saanich dog tag is the
best form of identification to quickly reunite you with your pet. Veterinarians often
call to find the owner of injured dogs.
2014 RENEWALS: If you are the owner of a dog that was licensed in 2013, you
should receive a 2014 Renewal Notice in the mail. You can purchase your 2014 dog
tag online at www.saanich.ca. Otherwise, please return both parts of the notice
when you purchase your dog tag in person at the Municipal Hall or Recreation
Centre, or by mail.. If a Renewal Notice has not been received, please contact the
Municipal Hall at 250-475-5494, local 3587.

1286 McKenzie Avenue
250-477-9495 www.therootcellar.ca
business of the year (26 to 75 employees)

A8 • www.vicnews.com

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - SAANICH

He thinkks they’re chatting abou
ut the hospitall jello.
His nurse is actually midwaay through dozens of assessmeents.
During the minutes spent at the bedside, a professional
nurse makes dozens of critical assessments. Any one
of them could mean the difference between recovery
and something that could result in tragedy.
Take direct patient care away from nurses and
vital knowledge affecting the health of patients is lost.

B.C. should be increasing the number of nurses,
not replacing them with care aides.
Ensuring nurses remain in direct contact with
patients is crucial to you and your loved ones.
While they may not be specialists in jello, when it comes
to safe patient care, professional nurses are irreplaceable.

“I think it’s a slap in our
face that Canada Post hasn’t
come to the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities to
see what sort of guidelines we
need to develop, because it’s
going to be different across
Canada,” she said.
The issue is being raised
around other council tables,
too. Delta council last week
passed a motion requesting
a Canada Post representa-

posted to Twitter saying her
entire community mailbox
was stolen.
A report from Brownoff
was expected to be brought
forward to council Monday
night. Among the recommendations was requesting
Canada Post re-evaluate the
financial and social impacts
the decision may have on
municipalities and taxpayers.
She also recommended the
decision needs to be looked
at with a focus on age-friendly

tive come speak to council to
address their concerns.
“One of the concerns is
that many of the new mailboxes that are being installed
are really not secure,” Delta
Coun. Bruce McDonald said.
“They have become a very
consistent target because
you don’t have to break into
48 houses, you just have to
break into one and you get 48
people’s mail.”
In late December, Saanich
South MLA Lana Popham

communities, crime prevention, safe walking spaces,
maintaining the infrastructure
and security.
“Canada Post needs to reevaluate how they’re doing
their business. I think they
need to be brought to task –
you start with contacting and
communicating with municipalities,” she said. “We’re
going to fight for answers.”
Canada Post did not return
a request for comment by the
News’ press deadline.

A trend towards the socalled bubble-wrapping of
children, or helicopter parenting, is giving way to the
notion of the importance
and benefits of introducing
risk in childhood play.
Ulrich Mueller, a psychology professor at the
University of Victoria,
estimates the overprotection of children started in
the 1980s and ’90s, when
parents began to invest
more in their children, but
also became more afraid of
harm.
Over the past 10 years,
Mueller believes those attitudes have started to shift.
Experts are starting to view
playgrounds, which encourage imaginative play and
appropriate risk taking, as

a helpful aid to developing motor skills and confidence.
“This is how children
learn what they cannot do
and can do, therefore they
learn about their own competence,” Mueller said.
Mueller and Enid Elliot,
an early learning and care
instructor at Camosun College, are currently studying
a nature kindergarten program based out of Sangster
elementary in Colwood to
see the effects of natural
play.
As the study is ongoing
there are no results yet, but
the researchers are looking
at motor development, fitness levels, attention spans
and emotional development in the cohorts of tots.
Elliot said the early
results are positive towards
incorporating risk into play.

Jupiterimages

Childhood educators agree that elements of risk in
places like playgrounds should be a part of childhood
development.
“I’m convinced that children need to have some
ways of practicing how
to take risks and how
to be safe,” Elliot said.
“People have much more
catastrophic injuries if they
don’t learn from an early

Since 1917

age to start to learn to manage their own risk.”
“You learn to fall down
with your knees and your
hands to protect yourself,
that’s a learned skill,” said
Michelle Tannock, a visiting professor with UVic’s
centre for research in early
childhood. “That gives
them a sense of the boundaries of what they can do
and what they can’t do,

versus expecting that others will protect them.”
Tannock agrees more talk
is circulating about the role
of risk in childhood development and she would like
to see this idea influence
educational programs and
play areas and structures.
Victoria playground
equipment dealer Merv
Walker said the call for
alternative playgrounds is
growing, but he heeds caution. He believes the push
for risk creates a grey area
for complying with safety
regulations for playgrounds
established by the Canadian Standards Association
(CSA).
He worries the rules are
being ignored. He even
noticed a potential infraction in the photo of a
nature-based playground
at Pearce Crescent in the
Saanich News, with uneven
logs next to a pathway.
“If a child falls off an icy
log for instance, the end of
a log, and hits the pathway,
it’s not covered by CSA,”
Walker said. “CSA is what
we have. I may or may not
agree with it. In some cases

I think it goes too far, but
that’s my personal feeling.
Everything we do has to
conform to CSA. It’s that
simple.”
Saanich’s parks planning
and design manager, Gary
Durrah, said the decision
for the Pearce Crescent
playground was based
more on space and cost
than anything else. Safety
can be a concern, Durrah said, but it is certainly
addressed.
“We do our best to minimize the chance of injury.
So we still have to put in
proper safety surfacing,”
Durrah said. “It’s a very difficult thing to regulate.”
What needs to kept in
mind moving forward is the
difference between risk and
hazard.
Playgrounds actually
have low fatality and injury
rates, Mueller said, especially compared to other
common occurrences such
as riding in cars. The distinction is key.
“It doesn’t mean playgrounds should have some
nails sticking out,” he said.
kwells@goldstreamgazette.com

Winners will be contacted within two weeks after contest closing date. No purchase
necessary. Odds of winning are dependant on the number of participants. The contest
is open to all residents of British Columbia of the age of majority. One entry per person.
Valid ID may be required. Winners may be required to answer a skill testing question.
Prizes must be accepted as awarded. Full contest details are available at 250-480-3254.

teria, Danica's teeth fell
All the tooth trauma of
out in quick succession.
the past came flooding back
The minute she stepped
when my hysterical teenage
from the house, she
daughter called, crying: “My
developed a new, closedtooth’s been knocked out!”
mouth smile and started
Images swirled in my
hiding her mouth behind
mind: painful bloody
her beloved stuffy or her
mouth, hockey player
long hair.
smile; the size of cheque I’d
No one knew she had
be writing to the dentist.
lost her front teeth.
And so I braced myself for
the inevitable drama as I
Susan Lundy Nativity play? Her stuffy
got a starring role as she
arrived to pick her up.
sang (muffled) into its fur. ChristShe tilted her head towards
mas dinner with extended family?
the light, opened her mouth and
She used the new smile and coverpointed. I squinted. Really? Yes, a
ing hand. No one outside our house
piece of her front tooth was cerever saw her toothless.
tainly missing, but this was not
Over the years, family tooth
exactly Night of the Jack-O-Lantern.
drama continued. My younger
When Danica, age six, first
announced that her front teeth were daughter, Sierra had her first tooth
pop out with the help of a teeterwiggly, I assumed all children loved
totter. Her second tooth came out
markers of maturity and started
shortly afterwards, but as she finally
singing, “All I want for Christmas is
went to place her own tooth under
my two front teeth.” But then I realthe pillow, Danica, in a big sisterly
ized Danica was not even brushing
way, confided that the tooth fairy
them.
was actually just Momma.
For six weeks they hung by
But as I tucked Sierra in, she
strings, getting increasingly yellow,
turned to me with wise-looking eyes
gums bulging above them. Finally,
and whispered, “I don’t think you’re
the school Christmas pageant
approached, and Danica, cast as one really the tooth fairy. You don’t have
time to go to all the little girls’ and
of the three wise men, was to sing a
boys’ houses every night.”
solo verse of We Three Kings.
Ahh, for once ... tooth trauma
Then, disaster. Within 24 hours of
the production, and amid much hys- averted.

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A I have three books
on the go right now:
The Toss of a Lemon,
which is a big family
saga novel set in India,
Michael Pollan’s latest
book Cooked, and Brene
Brown’s The Gifts of
Imperfection.
Q What is your family’s favourite activity to
share together?
A Hiking, throwing a
ball around, watching
football.
Q The part of your day
you most look forward
to?
A You mean other than the first cup of coffee?
Because the farm keeps me busy and I have
3 kids, any time I can spend with one child is
special. I love hanging out with each of them as
individuals.

Making a difference in your community
Sierra Kachan

Faelan Prentice

Sierra Kachan, 16, is
involved in grad and the
leadership programs at
Oak Bay High. Last year,
Sierra spearheaded the
Cops for Cancer benefit
concert that raised close
to $1,000. As a co-leader
of the OB Connect Club, Sierra is helping
new students integrate into high school life.
She also coaches community softball.

Faelan Prentice is a Grade
12 student at Reynolds
Secondary in French
Immersion. Since Grade
10 he has led Reynolds’
Vital Youth Program, which
allocates funds donated by
the Victoria Foundation.
He volunteers at Ocean Networks Canada
at UVic. Next year he plans to go to UBC,
Dalhousie or McGill focusing on the sciences.

Heather Stretch is a farmer with
a husband Lamont and three energetic boys, Jackson 11, Walker, 8,
and Levi, 6. She co-owns Saanich
Organics with two other women,
and together they sell organic produce to families and chefs around
Victoria.
Q How do you find time for “you,”
in addition to your role as “mom”?
A This becomes easier as the
kids get a bit older. They’re less
demanding and more independent
than when they were toddlers. I’m
fortunate that I love my job, and that
it includes moments every day that
are solitary and, for me, meditative.
Gathering and washing eggs, weeding, harvesting, all can be “me time” on a good
day. I’ve even been able to read a bit in the last
year!
Q What are you reading right now? What do
you read with your kids?

essays, soon to be released in a book by
the same title. While the stories are very
much from the mind of McCulloch (and
directed by Blake Brooker) its writer is
quick to credit Northey’s stage presence
– not only for his artistic contributions,
but simply as a punk from the same era.
“We’re of the same vintage. ... I can
confirm or deny something he says just
by shared human experience,” Northey
says. “all of what he does is about a
form of the truth, whether it’s comfortable for people to hear or not.”
For Northey, who scored Kids in the
Hall: Brain Candy, among other works
for the famed sketch troupe, the part-

arts@mondaymag.com

C

raig Northey and Bruce
McCulloch may not be
young or drunk, but the
two veteran Canadian performers are by all means

punk.
“Both of us don’t like to be told
what to do,” says Northey, founding
member of Vancouver-based rock
band Odds, who is once again collaborating with McCulloch, Kids in
the Hall member, writer/director and
actor.
“That’s my theory about musicians and comedians and why they
got into this – because they wanted
a job where no one told them what
to do.”
Northey was, and still is, attracted
to the DIY ethic that came from the
‘80s punk era and how it marked
the end of a time in music where, in
order to record an album, artists had
to overcome a series of roadblocks: a
$20,000-price tag and a sound engineer who wouldn’t let you touch any
of the controls, he says. Band members were huge stars, unapproachTYSON K. ElDEr phOTO
able people living in another world.
Odds’ Craig Northey joins Kids in the Hall’s Bruce
“When punk came along, it made
McCulloch during his Young Drunk Punk show next Friday
it for you and me, and you could do it Jan. 24 at UVic.
yourself and you don’t need to spend
all that money on it, because it wasn’t
it. Everything that Bruce and I do, we make
the point of the music,” he says. “You could
up. It’s coming from nowhere and then it
speak about your reality and have a lot of fun, exists. If somebody says you can’t do it, that’s
because it’s going fast and it’s going hard and
the reason you do it.”
it’s going to be fun. I think that has stayed
Northey and McCulloch have been longwith anybody who was ever involved in punk
time collaborators on a variety of film and
rock in any way, or enjoyed even listening to
television productions. Their latest work
it: you can do it yourself; you just have to do
Young Drunk Punk, is a based on McCulloch’s

100
% lo

Bruce McCulloch.

SUpplIED phOTO

nership is successful based on their shared
worldview and how they complement
each other in a “musical way.”
“It’s a strange way to put it, but he
understands music and his taste in music
complements mine. We give and take

$
15,000 donation to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital
Foundation and a $5,000 donation to the Visions Gala
benefiting the Victoria Hospitals Foundation.

and push and pull and come up with
new things. What he comes up with isn’t
exactly what I would have imagined, but
together we come up with something
new. We’ve learned that dialectic, as the
university kids say.”
Toronto-based musician Brian Connelly
worked with McCulloch on an earlier iteration of the show. Building on
Connelly’s contributions, Northey worked
on Young Drunk Punk with McCulloch in
los angeles to arrive at its current form,
something that will only have been performed a handful of times before it hits
UVic’s Farquhar auditorium.
Much of Young Drunk Punk centres
around family and fatherhood, a theme
with which Northey, a father of three
teens, can identify. and despite any
trappings of adult life, Northey, like l.a.based McCulloch, remains very much a
punk at heart. It all comes back to the
disdain for being told what to do, while
going after an artistic vision.
“You become possessed by music, or in
Bruce’s case, a vision for what will make
people laugh, about the truth, and about
combining the two in your own way. It’s
a disease that you can’t shake and I see
that in anyone else who’s younger and
who’s trying to do a similar thing and
make music. ... That grassroots thing
(about) punk rock – that’s back. Because
there’s no giant infrastructure of major
labels that you have to jump through all
these hoops to be a part of – and it’s all
about social media and building grassroots
support for what you do – it’s no different
than it was in 1979.”
Northey and McCulloch take their
grassroots punk rock ideals to the stage at
8pm Jan. 24. Tickets, $28/35, at tickets.
uvic.ca.

We
eRATicate
Rats.

In the spirit of giving back Peninsula Co-op donated to a variety
of charitable organizations throughout December.

2
n
donatiothe
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towardream
Goldst m
Chu .
t
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Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - SAANICH

Over 1,000 lbs of food
from our members,
customers and staff was
donated to the Mustard
Seed and Goldstream
Food Banks.

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guests!

Rat Patrol

250-893-6809
A $2,500 donation to
the Festival of Trees BC Children’s Hospital.

There’s more online
For more stories and web
exclusives visit vicnews.com

sAt. JAn. 18
theatre skam’s Birthday
Bash - Join SKAM at Oddfellows
Hall to celebrate 19 years of theatre
in Victoria. Their fundraising evening
includes live music and dance, a
chance to take home a massive
raffle prize pack, including season
tickets and tons o’ swag from local
businesses – and who knows what
else.?$19 / $69 with SKAMraffle
ticket. 8pm at Oddfellows Hall (1315
Douglas). skam.ca.

Arts news

in brief

Directors’
workshop

In the weeks before
the city goes movie mad
for the Victoria Film
Festival, CineVic is offering an opportunity for
local aspiring film artists
to polish their direct-

stage

tues. JAn. 21

fri. JAn. 17

wed. JAn. 15

come and Play with ryan and
chris - The Copper Owl (1900
Douglas) transforms into a 1990s
classroom during this new standup, improvised musical night of
comedy from Ryan Bangma and
Christopher Vickers. If you like
laughing and learning, it’s the
comedy extravaganza you’ve
been looking for. $12.

five alarm funk -The 10th
anniversary celebration of fivealarm proportions goes down at
Sugar (858 Yates). Hear why their
fourth album Rock the Sky”was
nominated for a Juno at 8pm.
Tickets are $20 in advance at Lyle’s
Place, Ditch Records or ticketweb.
ca.

home is a Beautiful word
- Playwright/journalist
Joel Bernbaum, in a work
commissioned by the
Belfry Theatre, spent over a year
interviewing hundreds of people
to form a portrait of homelessness
in our community, in the words
of our community. Described as
moving, enlightening, funny and
surprising. Tickets, $25, tickets.
belfry.bc.ca. Until Jan. 19.
ignorance - The Old Trout
Puppet Workshop presents an
original piece dubbed “a puppet
documentary of the evolution
of happiness in an attempt to
unleash the mightier shrieks
that surge within us.” Whoa. At
the Roxy Theatre (2657 Quadra).
Tickets, $26.25-42. 250-385-4462.
bluebridgetheatre.ca. Until Jan.
19.

sin city: kingdom of thronesThe peasants and royalty of
a medieval castle evoke an
improvised fairytale world during the
the fourth season of the improvised
soap with live direction by creator
Ian Ferguson and comedic magic
of Kirsten Van Ritzen, Wes Borg
and Morgan Cranny among others.
At the Victoria Event Centre (1415
Broad) every Tuesday at 8pm.
$15/$12.

Barenaked ladies - Torontobased pop artist Clara Venice joins
the legendary Canadian band, who
take 25 years of pop-rock hits, along
with songs from their latest record,
Grinning Streak, to UVic’s Farquhar
Auditorium. $95-120, tickets.uvic.ca.

ing skills with two days
of workshops with an
independent filmmaking
great.
The society of independent filmmakers hosts
director Carl Bessai –
Lola (2001), Emile, with
Sir Ian McKellen in 2003,
and No Clue 2013’s
film-noir comedy starring Brent Butt and Amy

Smart , among a long
list of films which have
screened at top festivals
around the globe – for
intensive workshops Jan.
25 and 26.
In Directing Actors on
Jan. 25, Bessai focuses on
the principals of improv
and rehearsal. Sunday’s
Directing for the Camera
session will explore the

physical execution of
scenes on camera with
emphasis on blocking
and scene coverage motivated by scripted material. Each day runs from
10am to 6pm at CineVic,
1931 Lee and comes
with a cost of $165/$295
for the general public.
Contact 250-3891590 or office@cinevic.ca.

ENTER TO WIN
a double pass to the advance screening of

VIU: Your choice
for studies in
Special Education

Words

caBaret - Langham Court
Theatre turns back the clock
to 1931 Berlin for the classic
musical revival. Directed by
Roger Carr. Tickets, from $21 at
langhamtheatre.ca.

Black holes: more than meets
the eye - Dr. Laura Ferrarese from
UVic’s department of physics and
astronomy discuses how black
holes may play a more important
role in the evolution of galaxies than
anyone had anticipated. 6:30pm
at Hermann’s Jazz Club, 753 View.
Free, but registration is required.
eventbrite.ca/e/cafe-scientifique.

wed. JAn. 15

ConradDe
DePalma
Palma
Conrad
Denturist
Denturist

Master of Education in Special Education
Information Meeting
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
4-6 pm | Belmont Secondary School Cafeteria
• Blended model that is accessible from anywhere in BC and beyond
• Innovative approach to the field
• Grounded in current research and evidence-based practices
Please RSVP to confirm your attendance
Gail.Krivel-Zacks@viu.ca

Bring this coupon to View Royal Casino to receive
ONE FREE BALLOT for your chance to
WIN $888 Saturday at 8pm!
Must be present to win.
One coupon per person per day. Coupon valid January 8 to February 8, 2014.
No purchase necessary. No copies or facsimiles accepted.
No cash value. See Guest Services for details.

ag.c
daym
mon

IN THEATRES JANUARY 24

om

To enter go to www.mondaymag.com/contests, click on
I, FRANKENSTEIN, REGISTER for an account or login if an existing
user, and submit. Contest closes Sun, Jan. 19 at midnight. Winners
will be contacted by email. Screening will take place at 7pm at
SilverCity on Thurs, Jan. 23.

Tuesday, Jan. 21st, 6 pm
We invite you to come and meet a River Cruise Director
- the onboard professionals who help you make the
most of each day, delivering educational commentary
as you pass through interesting landscapes

Joins us and learn about the wonders
of exploring scenic landscapes,
ancient wonders & medieval castles
of Europe and the wonders of Asia
with an Avalon river cruise.

Johane Mui of
Victoria hits a
return in the
women’s open
(5.0) singles
final Sunday
during the New
Year’s Classic
2014 tennis
tournament at
the Oak Bay
Recreation
Centre. Mui
won her match
against junior
Emily Hooton
6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

Johane Mui isn’t one to back
down from a challenge on the
tennis court.
That much was clear on Sunday, as she faced hard-hitting
teenager Emily Hooton in the
women’s open final of the New
Year’s Classic at the Oak Bay
Recreation Centre tennis bubble.
At 48, she threw her racquet
into the open mix and was
promptly ranked No. 1, having
won the women’s 45-and-over
division in the Classic the previous three years.
After taking the opening set
6-4 then dropping the next 7-5,
Mui’s experience and savvy
helped her post a hard-fought
6-4 win over Hooton in the deciding set to take her first open division singles crown in this tournament.
“It’s was nice to hit against
someone who hits harder than
my peers,” Mui said afterward.
“This gives me fire to pursue
provincial and national (play)
and extend my career.”
Mui, who also won mixed
doubles with partner Jared Mar-

tin, said the Classic has helped
improve her game and allowed
her to remain competitively
active.
Having played the Classic
the past nine or 10 years and
advanced to various finals in the
past five, she sees the tournament as a good local event that
helps hone one’s skills.
“It gives you that competitive
edge and sometimes it comes
down to the mental game,” she
said, referring to the final, in
which she battled Hooton to
gain momentum.
Over the years, this tournament has also given numerous
young players their first competitive experiences, not to mention the opportunity to test their
mettle against older players.
A case in point was the
men’s open division, which saw
14-year-old Aaron Diemer face
17-year-old Austin Hoole in the
final. Hoole, ranked No. 2 in the
17-player draw, cruised to a 6-4,
6-1 victory Sunday.
Both teens are provincialcalibre players who are serious enough about the sport to
adjust their schooling to allow
for more tournament play.

“(The Classic) is a good preparation for other tournaments
and a good development event.
Plus it’s fun,” said Hoole, who
will play under-18 singles at a
B.C. selection series event this
weekend in Vancouver. Diemer
is in the U-16 division.
The finalists, who are also
practice partners, have both
played the Classic since they
were pre-teens.
“I always love playing in this
tournament. They do such a
great job,” Diemer said. “This is
a tournament that always has
lots of great competition.”
The Classic attracted 210 players of all levels this time around,
said organizer Ed Bakker, tennis
co-ordinator with Recreation
Oak Bay.
While the total number of
entries was the same as last
year, the tournament has seen
growth in the junior age categories, he added.
“We’re now a fully sanctioned
Tennis B.C. tournament, which
allows (juniors) to gain provincial points,” he said.
For results from the New Year’s
Classic visit bit.ly/1iJbYGB.
ddescoteau@vicnews.com

Residents of the Capital Region are invited to participate in
a FREE workshop on gardening with drought-resistant native
plants. Instruction on native plant identification, their benefits
and how to use them will be included. An overview of CRD
Water Conservation programs will be provided and participants
will be given a tour of a native plant garden. These informative
workshops will be held at Swan Lake Nature House, located at
3873 Swan Lake Road in Victoria.

Claremont Spartans sit at the
top of this week’s Sport Victoria Vancouver Island senior
boys level 4A rankings and
also jumped into the B.C. top
10 list at sixth after last week’s
honourable mention.
Oak Bay sat third and Mount
Douglas sixth on the Island list,
followed by Belmont in eighth
and Spectrum at No. 9.
Reynolds sits at No. 5 in the
Island 3A rankings, followed

by Stelly’s in sixth and Pacific
Christian at No. 10. In 2A, St.
Michael’s tops the chart on
the Island and provincially, followed on both lists at No. 2 by
Lambrick Park.

Local rugby juniors
heading to Las Vegas

Elite youth rugby players
from around B.C. are off to
the Nevada desert next week
to compete in the annual Las
Vegas High School Invitational
Sevens tournament.

Making the trip with the
women’s under-18 team are
Oak Bay High and Castaway
Wanderers’ player Caroline
Crossley, and UVic Vikes player
Nicole Crowley.
Two men’s sides will make
the trip, made up of players
from the B.C. U-18 and U-17
teams. On the roster is Oak
Bay Barbarians standout Jack
Nyren, who, like Crossley, is
making a return trip to the tournament, which runs Jan. 24
and 25.
ddescoteau@vicnews.com

Address:
Phone:

✃

Drop off at any participating merchant. Ballots also available in store.
Windsor
Plywood

Winners will be contacted within two weeks after contest closing date. No purchase necessary. Odds of winning are dependant on the number of participants. The contest
is open to all residents of British Columbia of the age of majority. One entry per person. Valid ID may be required. Winners may be required to answer a skill testing question.
Prizes must be accepted as awarded. Full contest details are available at 250-480-3254.

www.vicnews.com
A16 •www.saanichnews.com

Wednesday,
January
Wed,
Jan 15, 2014
2014,- SAANICH
Saanich NEWS
News

Your community. Your classifieds.

250.388.3535

$2997
plus tax

SELL YOUR STUFF!

fax 250.388-0202 email classified@saanichnews.com

Private Party Merchandise Ad
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Choose any:
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(99¢ extra lines) Runs till it sells, up to 8 weeks! Add any other Greater Victoria paper for only $9.99 each +tax

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Ask us for more info.

SOOKENEWS

MIRROR

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRANSPORTATION

COMING EVENTS

AUTO SERVICES

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

$$$ TOP CA$H PAID $$$. For
ALL unwanted Vehicles, any
condition. Call (250)885-1427.

INFORMATION
ADVERTISE in the
LARGEST OUTDOOR
PUBLICATION IN BC
The 2014-2016 BC
Hunting Regulations
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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
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req’d. For more info, call 1866-945-6409.
THERE IS a critical need for
Medical
Transcriptionists
across Canada. Work from
home. CanScribe graduates
welcome and encouraged to
apply. Apply through MTR at
www.hds-mt.com/jobs

HELP WANTED

The most effective way to
reach an incredible number
of BC Sportsmen & women.
Two year edition- terrific
presence for your business.

Registered Nurses
Bayshore Home Health
Bayshore Home Health is
currently seeking Registered
Nurses to support our Pediatric/Adolescent clients for
home care in the Victoria/Duncan areas. Pediatric experience is an asset.
We do offer client specific
training and support as
required. If you are an RN
and enjoy working with children, we would love to hear
from you.
Employee Beneﬁt
Package available.
Interested individuals are
encouraged to Fax resume
to our Burnaby ofﬁce:
1-866-686-7435 or
Email:pedsvancouver@
bayshore.ca

Please call Annemarie
1.800.661.6335
email:
ﬁsh@blackpress.ca
DID YOU KNOW? BBB provides complaint resolution services for all businesses and
their customers. Look for the
2013 BBB Accredited Business Directory E-edition on
your Black Press Community
Newspaper website at
www.blackpress.ca.
You can also go to
http://vi.bbb.org/directory/
and click on the 2013 BBB
Accredited Business Directory

MEDICAL/DENTAL

LANDSCAPE
HORTICULTURALIST
School
District
No. 62
(Sooke) requires a Landscape Horticulturalist. If you
have a Landscape Horticulturist Trades Qualification,
we are most interested in
hearing from you. For more
information about our District, please refer to our website
at
www.sd62.bc.ca
This is a new position and
will receive a final pay rating
6 months after the new incumbent starts as per the
job evaluation plan.
Interim hourly rate of pay:
$21.94
Qualified individuals are invited to submit their cover
letter and resume, including
the names and telephone
numbers of at least two references on or before January 24, 2014 to:
Dawn Coughlin
Human Resources
Assistant
School District No. 62
(Sooke)
3143 Jacklin Road
Victoria, BC V9B 5R1

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

HOME STAY FAMILIES

HOMESTAY
FAMILIES
REQUIRED
March 13-17
2 students
per home
Please call

TRADES, TECHNICAL
SERVICE MANAGER
Bailey Western Star &
Freightliner Trucks Inc is
currently seeking a F/T
Service
Manager
to
maintain a professional
efficient working environment for our busy service
department.
EXPERIENCE:
•

•

•
•

•

Ability to multi-task
while providing a high
degree of quality customer service.
Good verbal, written
and interpersonal and
skills.
Strong computer and
analytical skills.
Knowledge of the Truck
& Trailer Industry.
Valid driver’s license.

FINANCIAL SERVICES
ANNACIS ISLAND Pawnbrokers open ‘till midnight 7 days a
week. 604-540-1122. Cash
loans for Jewellery, Computers, Smartphones, Games,
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Need Money? We Lend! If you
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IF YOU own a home or real
estate, Alpine Credits can lend
you money: It’s That Simple.
Your Credit / Age / Income is
not an issue. 1.800.587.2161.

Retirement Concepts is now recruiting full-time, parttime and casual Registered Nurses for Beacon Hill Villa in
Victoria, Nanaimo Seniors Village in Nanaimo, and The
Gardens at Qualicum Beach in Qualicum Beach.
Qualifications include:
• Graduate of an approved school of nursing, current
active registration with CRNBC. BSN preferred.
• Additional training and previous experience in the
care of the frail elderly and physically and mentally
handicapped persons.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in
writing in the English language.
For a more detailed job description and to submit your resume

AFFORDABLE AND quiet.
55+ community in Ladysmith.
Home of the famous Festival
of Lights!!!! Carefree manufactured homes on easy care lots
for as low as $119,700. Low
monthly lot fee. On transit.
Close to parks, community
centre, pool and amazing
trails. Only 50 minutes from
Victoria and less than 20 minutes to Nanaimo. New Home
Warranty. Contact Duck Paterson @ 250-246-0637 or email:
info@lmfhomes.ca

Prices effective at all British Columbia Safeway stores Friday, January 17 through Sunday, January 19, 2014 only. We reserve the right to limit sales to retail quantities.
Some items may not be available at all stores. All items while stocks last. Actual items may vary slightly from illustrations. Some illustrations are serving suggestions only.
Advertised prices do not include GST. ®™ Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Co. and Safeway. Extreme Specials are
prices that are so low they are limited to a one time purchase to Safeway Club Card Members within a household. Each household can purchase the limited items one
time during the effective dates. A household is defined by all Safeway Club Cards that are linked by the same address and phone number. Each household can purchase
the EXTREME SPECIALS during the specified advertisement dates. For purchases over the household limits, regular pricing applies to overlimit purchases. On BUY ONE
GET ONE FREE items, both items must be purchased. Lowest priced item is then free. Online and in-store prices, discounts, and offers may differ.

E
E
R
F
1
EQUAL O

R VALUE

R L E S SE

NLY!
3 DAPYRSICEO
CLUB

JANUARY
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FRI

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Prices in this ad good until January 19th.

SAANICH NEWS - Wednesday, January 15, 2014

www.vicnews.com • A19

Blackout proves illuminating for Victoria
Daniel Palmer
Reporting

City plays
catchup with
backup power at
busy intersections

was finished years ago.
“We have spent a lot of money
on emergency preparedness
... as part of preparing for an
earthquake or an emergency
of some sort. We’ve funded big
and small pieces,” said Saanich
Mayor Frank Leonard.
At a cost of about $5,000 for
one battery and installation,
it will be years before all 145
of Victoria’s signal-controlled
intersections and pedestrian
crossings are equipped with
emergency power.
But engineering crews are
steadily covering ground, with
plans to install batteries at
another four intersections in
2014, Myles said.
“When we finally get there,
we’d like to have a battery
backup on all our intersections.
For this year, we’re looking at
Douglas and Finlayson, Douglas
and Bay, Blanshard and Bay and
Hillside at Shelbourne.”
Myles doesn’t anticipate
another major blackout rolling
through Greater Victoria any time
soon, but said drivers should
still take the time to familiarize
themselves with traffic rules in
the event of power failure.
“(Dec. 5) was a good test for
us, because the intersections
with battery backup worked just
as (they were) supposed to.”
-With reporting from Edward Hill
dpalmer@vicnews.com

When a bizarre blackout swept
across the City of Victoria last
month, traffic continued to flow
smoothly through some of the
city’s busiest intersections.
The hour-long power outage
during rush hour on Dec. 5 was
the biggest test yet for Victoria’s
streets operations manager
David Myles and his team, who
have been installing back-up
batteries at key traffic signals
across the city.
Sharon Tiffin/News staff
“Currently, we’ve got three
Victoria municipal workers Don Shillington, left, and Don Davenport make
intersections with battery
adjustments to a new stoplight on the corner of Harriet Road and Gorge
backup, capable of running for
Road East, at the border of Victoria and Saanich. Traffic lights in the city,
two hours with red-yellow-green,”
many of which went dark during a major blackout in Victoria’s core last
he said.
month, are gradually having backup battery power installed to enhance
Controls at Hillside Avenue
safety during emergency situations.
and Douglas Street,
Blanshard Street and
Hillside and Blanshard
at Tolmie Avenue are
all able to regulate the
flow of traffic during a
power outage and can
switch to flashing red
Healthy Eyes.
to conserve power for
Doctor Delivered.
Dr. Daisy Tao
several more hours if
needed.
The intersections
Parents and preschoolers (3 years and up) are invited to
were chosen primarily
When reading, you should be seated at
for public safety
visit their neighbourhood school.
a
desk
or in a comfortable chair, not lying on
reasons using data
your stomach or on your side. Your back should
from ICBC, B.C. Hydro
♦ Participate in hands‐on learning activities.
and the municipality,
have a normal curve and not be scrunched or
♦ Tour your neighbourhood school.
Myles said.
propped up with one arm. If used for a long time
♦ Learn about community resources available to support families.
“Priority is given to
the horizontal reading position can seem nor
areas where power
mal, even though it causes eyestrain. The visual
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
outages have been
system gets used to a distorted perspective, but
more common, as
3:15 — 6:00 pm
the muscles which coordinate the eyes have to
well as the size of
Join us at your neighbourhood school.
Dr. Neil
Paterson
work hard to prevent double
vision.
an intersection. The
Once
you
decide
to
be
in
a
comfortable
chair,
Dr.
Suzanne
Sutter
Brentwood Elementary 250 652 3996
KELSET Elementary 250 655 4648
units we are installing
you need to considerOptometrists
what kind it will be. It
Cordova Bay Elementary 250 658 5315
Lochside Elementary 250 658 5238
protect the system
Deep Cove Elementary 250 656 7254
Prospect Lake Elementary 250 727 3314
should permit the feet to be flat on the floor. If
from power loss or
100 -2067 Cadboro Bay Rd.
Keating Elementary 250 652 9261
Sidney Elementary 250 656 3958
blackouts, power
the feet do not reach, try a phone book under
surges and power
them. The lower back should be supported, and
drops, or brownouts.”
the deskwww.oakbayoptometry.com
or table should be at waist level when
Parts of neighbouring
the person is seated. Working at a surface that
Saanich were hit by the
is too high gives a similar distortion to viewing
blackout, but didn’t see
Dr. Rachel
Rushforth*
a movie from the front
row, far side.
You know
dead traffic lights along
www.admiralsvision.ca
how
uncomfortable
that
can
be,
not
only
on your
its major roadways.
*Denotes
Optometric
Corporation
neck
but
on
your
eyes
as
well.
A
rule
of
thumb
is
That municipality
that the reading distance should be no shorter
has battery backup at
106-1505 Admirals Rd. (near Thrifty Foods)
than the length of your forearm. Be good to your
23 intersections along
Every success for every child
eyes, they are the only two you will ever have.
the McKenzie Avenue,
www.sd63.bc.ca
Shelbourne Street
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the
and Quadra Street
Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of
corridors.
Education.
Uninterruptible
www.saanichoptometry.ca
power supply (UPS)
Dr. Daisy Tao* has joined
units are now only
Dr.
Charles
Simons* & Dr. Victor J. Chin*
installed in new
119-3995
Quadra
@ McKenzie (in Saanich Centre)
signals, said Saanich
*Denotes Optometric
engineering, as its
Corporation
larger UPS program

This community
event is free of
charge to all our
volunteers, clients
and supporters
RSVP to
contactus@
saanichvolunteers.org

250-595-8008
Limited spaces are
available

250-595-8500

250-995-0449

www.vicnews.com

250-744-2992

If you want to make
an impact in your
community please
contact us at
250-595-8008
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Mon.- Fri.
for more information
or go to our website
www.saanichvolunteers.org
or like us on Facebook
Community Partners: